# Can you read Latin, Ancient Greek or another 'dead language'? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 25, 2005, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-read-latin-ancient-greek-or-another-dead-language/309793 "2005-06-25T13:58:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-read-latin-ancient-greek-or-another-dead-language/309793/41 "2005-06-27T10:02:54Z")
**Kyla** – I’m taking this hijack offline. Check your mail (the account in your profile) [/hijack] Dani ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-read-latin-ancient-greek-or-another-dead-language/309793/42 "2005-06-27T10:34:39Z")
I started Latin in the first year of secondary school (aged 11) and Greek the following year - both were compulsory. I was one of only 3 in my class to take Latin and Greek A Levels (aged 17) and then went on to do a degree in Greek at university. All that ended 25 years ago and I would now have great difficulty if asked to translate a slab of Homer or Sophocles or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Theologue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@Theologue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theologue)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-read-latin-ancient-greek-or-another-dead-language/309793/43 "2005-06-27T11:35:25Z")
Hi all, On a related note, I’ve opened [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=6304764) on Nota Bene, a word processor with multi-lingual support. Any opinions would be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-read-latin-ancient-greek-or-another-dead-language/309793/44 "2005-06-27T12:22:28Z")
I took a classical Greek class this semester, and I felt like I was trying to read a book full of math symbols. Roughly four months of learning, and I can read the words aloud. If I have a dictionary, I can manage a vague understanding of the text - not bad, I guess, considering I slept through more than half my classes. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-read-latin-ancient-greek-or-another-dead-language/309793/45 "2005-06-27T12:26:46Z")
4 years of Latin in High School 2 years of Latin in college ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-read-latin-ancient-greek-or-another-dead-language/309793/46 "2005-06-27T14:57:54Z")
Sloggining my way through Biblical greek. I try reading at least once a week. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-read-latin-ancient-greek-or-another-dead-language/309793/47 "2005-06-27T15:01:00Z")
I’m a member of the last generation of altar bboys that had to memorize the Mass in Latin. After I did so I got **Latin Made Simple** (Actual Title) and started studying it on my own. I took two years of it in high school, and translated the beginning of {b]The Menaechmi\*\* on my own, and went on to try Martial. But it’s been a long time, and my Latin’s rusted into near-immobility. ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-read-latin-ancient-greek-or-another-dead-language/309793/48 "2005-06-27T15:06:14Z")
Nobody else has studied Church Slavonic. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-read-latin-ancient-greek-or-another-dead-language/309793/49 "2005-06-27T22:01:34Z")
> [@yBeayf](#): > > Nobody else has studied Church Slavonic. ☹ We were given a basic “intro” course when our choir sang Janacek’s \*Glagolitic Mass \* two years ago. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-read-latin-ancient-greek-or-another-dead-language/309793/50 "2005-06-28T11:05:44Z")
not so fast ybeayf, i’ve been dealing with church slovanic since i was born. perhaps before as mum was in the church choir. at this point i know more cs than russian and get some odd looks when i use a cs word rather than a russian one. if i’m speaking to clergy, choir directors, or readers they take it in stride. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2005, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-read-latin-ancient-greek-or-another-dead-language/309793/51 "2005-06-28T18:30:17Z")
Salve, **Laurange**! Yeah, Latin reader here, though honestly it’s been a few years since I’ve taken any classes; I don’t know how much I still really remember without the slow aid of a dictionary. _pulls letters of Cicero off the shelf_ Yeah, it’s mostly gone. Grammar’s still decent, but I’d have to look up over half of the words. _sigh_ I can still translate things for folks in a pinch, just not particularly quickly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-read-latin-ancient-greek-or-another-dead-language/309793.md?page=2)